by Jonathan Lintner, USA TODAY Sports

by Jonathan Lintner, USA TODAY Sports

A spokesperson with the Horizon League, of which Cleveland State is a member, said Tuesday morning that the conference office is examining Vikings assistant coach Jermaine Kimbrough's social media comments made after a loss Monday night to the University of Kentucky.

"College basketball is at an all time low," he tweeted. "I have never been cheated the way we got cheated in Rupp Arena tonight. Let thekids play.

"That's what college sports is all about," Kimbrough added before posting, "Don't take hard work away kids who deserved it and give it to kids who did not want it. Refs gave away what college basketball all about."

"We're aware of his comments, and we're reviewing them right now," said Bill Potter, the Horizon's director of communications.

A Cleveland State spokesperson said the Vikings athletic department has also seen the social media posts "but won't have any further comment at this time."

Kimbrough's posts were blunter but in the same vein as those made by Cleveland State head coach Gary Waters after Monday's game. The Vikings picked up 28 fouls to UK's 17 and had two players foul out.

Asked if a few calls didn't go his way, Waters said after the game, "You don't get that comment."

But he continued while referencing the emphasis this year in college basketball officiating on freedom of movement for offense players similar to the NBA. Officials are calling more blocks as opposed to charges as well, only going with the latter if a defender is set before an offensive player starts his move to the basket.

"Literally though, these new rules and all crap, I don't want to get into that because it's disappointing," Waters said. "It's really disappointing, and it's hurting the game of basketball. When you get all these fouls and all these calls, I don't think it's good for fans. I really don't. I think the game is stopped - impeded - we go in spurts.

"And I even think this: What I struggle with is, if you want to win a game, why don't you tell your guys to put their head down and drive. To me, that ain't basketball. Basketball is passing, cutting, shooting - doing things. What we're talking about is just put your head down and drive and blow the whistle. I hope that happens at our house, because if it does, we're going to be OK."

Though Cleveland State made 14 of 15 free throw attempts, UK went to the line 35 times and made 27.

Cleveland State's total fouls whistled Monday were hardly an anomaly. Through four previous games, the Vikings averaged 27.75 fouls and committed a season-high 34 in a Nov. 18 loss to Eastern Michigan.